The invention relates to a loading or luggage compartment of a motor vehicle with a loading compartment base, as well as with two facing side walls.
Such loading compartments are generally known for estate cars or station wagons, as well as large capacity limousines. The side walls of the loading compartments in individually designed and matched to the given vehicle body circumstances. The side walls of the loading compartments are formed by inside panel parts. Behind the side panels functional parts are fixed to the body such as first-aid kits, tool kits, CD players, navigational instruments or the like. In order to allow access from the loading compartment to said functional parts, parts of the side panels are removable.
The problem of the invention is to provide a loading compartment of the aforementioned type, which can be structured in variable manner.
This problem is solved in that at least one side wall is provided with at least one dimensionally stable functional module, which is held in detachable manner on the body side and which has an open or closed reception space for at least one functional part. The functional module is integrated into the side wall. If there are several functional modules, the particular side wall of the loading compartment can be created over its entire length, considered in the vehicle longitudinal direction, by the functional modules. An essential advantage of the solution according to the invention is that directly on the functional module is provided a corresponding reception space for at least one functional part, so that the latter can be preassembled prior to the installation of the functional module. Body-side receptacles or holding means for corresponding functional parts do not have to be provided, so that in accordance with the wishes of the customer, a corresponding loading compartment can be individually designed and structured even in the finished state of the vehicle without it being necessary to provide for this purpose body or carcass-side measures. The reception space can be subdivided by corresponding bases or wall sections into several individual areas. Loading compartments in the sense of the invention are both boots/trunks of cars and loading compartments of station wagons and large-capacity limousines.
The functional parts can be both technical modules such as CD players, navigational devices, sound systems or other electrical or electronic components, as well as first-aid kits, tool kits, warning triangles, tow cables, starter cables and the like. However, the functional parts may not belong to the vehicle, but are stowed in an appropriate manner in the vehicle. Thus, the functional parts also include holding containers with openable or closable areas, other types of storage or holding containers, leisure and hobby accessories and the like.
According to a development of the invention at least one end face of the functional module is provided with a panel, which is matched to the remaining panel surface of the loading compartment. As a result the functional module can be optically incorporated into the vehicle interior design. Matching can be brought about in that the same material is chosen for the panel as for the remaining panel surface. Alternatively matching can also be brought about by an optical and/or haptic adaptation using differently designed materials or surfaces.
According to another development of the invention the functional module is designed as a container open on at least one side. The functional module can have a shell, tub or box-shaped design. It can in particular merely be formed by an end wall directed towards the loading compartment and an individual side wall. In this case the closed reception space then results from the adjacent wall sections of the side wall or body, as soon as the functional module is in its vehicle-fixed state mounted on the body.
According to another development of the invention the functional module is designed as a closed, box-shaped container. Preferably said container has a lid or cover to permit filling and emptying thereof. Preferably the container is provided with at least one carrying handle to permit transportation outside the vehicle.
According to another development of the invention the functional module has at least one plug-in connection for the detachable connection with the vehicle-fixed, electrical connecting leads. This design is particularly advantageous if the functional module is provided with electrical or electronic functional parts, because they can be connected in a preassembly stage to the functional module-side plug-in connection, which can then be connected to the vehicle-side connecting leads on inserting the functional module into the vehicle.
According to another development of the invention on the loading compartment side there is a corresponding linking junction, which forms a connector pair with the plug-in connection when the functional module is installed. The loading compartment-side, i.e. body-side linking junction is preferably positioned in such a way that automatically on inserting the functional module the connector pair is formed with the functional module-side plug-in connection. For this purpose the plug-in connection is appropriately arranged and fastened to the functional module in order to necessarily obtain the connector pair with the linking junction on inserting the functional module.
According to another development of the invention the functional module is fixed in the loading compartment by means of a positively active, manually releasable holder. This makes it possible to install and remove the functional module without using tools. The positive design of the holder ensures a crashproof fixing of the functional module in the vehicle.
According to a further development of the invention in the vicinity of a side wall are provided at least two interconnected functional modules, which in aligned manner have end faces directed towards the loading compartment interior. This makes it possible to use the free space between the side wall and the body side for positioning functional parts. The functional modules can also extend over the entire length of the loading compartment side wall, so that the functional modules with their end wall directed towards the loading compartment form the side wall for said loading compartment.
According to another development of the invention on the body side there is at least one fixed bulkhead partition extending in the vehicle transverse direction, which laterally flanks a functional module or is positioned between two adjacent functional modules. Such bulkhead partitions can bring about a support of the functional module behind the same in the direction of travel. They can also constitute side walls for functional modules open to this side. They can finally be provided with holding or fastening means in order to permit the fastening of the functional modules.
According to another development of the invention the container has at least one carrying handle, which additionally serves as a control element for the manually releasable holding of the container in the loading compartment. Thus, the carrying handle has a double function, in that it serves both for the carrying of the container and also the installation and removal of the container, i.e. the functional module with respect to the loading compartment.
According to a further development of the invention on the functional module is provided at least one functional track directed towards the loading compartment interior and which fulfils fixing, holding or contacting functions. In the functional track can be provided sockets for the connection of electrical appliances such as vacuum cleaners or the like, which are energized by the vehicle power supply. In addition, the functional track can be used for fixing segmenting or covering units for the loading compartment. The functional tracks can also receive fixing means, such as hooks or rings, which are provided for the occasional holding of transported articles.
According to another development of the invention in vehicle-fixed manner in the vicinity of at least one interior surface is provided at least one functional track, which flanks in bounding manner at least one functional module and/or takes over fixing, holding or contacting functions. Preferably a corresponding functional track is in the form of a metal rail section.
According to another development of the invention the holder is constituted by a retaining means and a locking unit spaced from said retaining means and combined therewith. Preferably the retaining means and locking unit are matched to one another in such a way that the functional module initially on one side and in the tilted state is introduced into the retaining means and subsequently by simply tilting into the functional position releases the locking unit, so that automatically on tilting the vehicle-fixed locking and securing of the functional module can be brought about.
According to a further development of the invention with the functional module is associated a restraining device, which holds the functional module in position in the case of vehicle impact stresses. Such a restraining device can be obtained by frame or support parts. In the same way it is possible to obtain a restraining device by the use of steel cables, chains or similar flexible restraining means.
According to yet another development of the invention the holder for the functional module has energy absorption means, which retain the functional module. Thus, in the case of a vehicle impact, by means of the energy absorption means in the holder impact energy is preferably converted into strain energy, so that stresses on the functional module are reduced. Thus, even in the case of vehicle impact stresses, a reliable retention of the functional module in the vehicle interior is ensured.
Further advantages and features of the invention can be gathered from the claims and the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the attached drawings, wherein show:
FIG. 1 An embodiment of a loading compartment according to the invention in a perspective view with different, alternatively usable functional modules and functional parts.
FIG. 2 A loading compartment similar to FIG. 1 without inserted functional module.
FIG. 3 The loading compartment of FIG. 2 with inserted functional modules.
FIG. 4 A larger scale, perspective view of a functional module for the loading compartment according to FIGS. 2 and 3.
FIG. 5 A larger-scale sectional representation of an upper area of a functional module similar to FIG. 4, where a carrying handle additionally serves as a control element for the body-side fixing of the functional module.
FIG. 6 A sectional representation of the base region of the functional module according to FIG. 4 showing the vehicle-side fixing.
FIG. 7 Diagrammatically a functional module with two stowing areas, which are accessible from opposite sides.
FIG. 8 A sectional representation of the functional module according to FIG. 7.
FIG. 9 A further functional module similar to FIG. 7, where a reception container is designed as a drawer.
FIG. 10 The functional module according to FIG. 9 with the drawer open.
FIG. 11 A functional module in the form of a leisure module.
FIG. 12 A functional module for receiving a refrigerator.
FIG. 13 A further functional module provided with a fold-up, flexible stowing container.